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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26525506">The Rey Before Christmas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyBeforeChristmas/pseuds/ReyBeforeChristmas'>ReyBeforeChristmas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/M, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 09:21:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26525506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyBeforeChristmas/pseuds/ReyBeforeChristmas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben is expected to take over the family business and stick to the plan. Children are counting on him. Too bad he hates Christmas….</p><p>Rey’s harsh childhood has left her thinking that the “spirit of Christmas” is a load of rubbish. </p><p>What happens when Ben runs away from home, with nothing but the clothes on his back, and ends up falling for a charming girl in New York City? </p><p>Will Rey help this strange tall man, who looks miserable, dressed in a Santa costume? It's only September and he is already dressed for the worst holiday of the year... his toy shop job must be terrible....</p><p>or - Ben is expected to take over as “Santa” and falls for a cute British girl who doesn’t even believe in Christmas.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Rey Before Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Updates every Friday until Christmas ^__^ </p><p>Thought this would be a funny fic to write for the holidays</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night air feels crisp as Ben walks through the candy cane forest after suffering though yet another disagreement with his parents. It’s not that he didn’t understand what they expected of him and his life, it’s just that he was never given a choice in the matter. He was always meant to become the next Santa, the symbol of joy to so many children in the world (never mind that children hate him). It’s a lot to expect of someone, and given his awkward teen years, and lack of ability to fit in with everyone around him, he just feels so out of place. It’s too much. He feels suffocated, trapped. </p><p>And his family definitely thinks of him as an outcast as well.</p><p>Leia has always been confident and loved by all. There is something warm about her, the way she speaks to everyone with such love and understanding. She’s been a perfect Santa.</p><p>He feels so envious, it burns him. Now, about to turn 25, he is expected to take over as Santa this coming season, and it doesn’t quite feel real. He can’t do this. He hates Christmas and the whole holiday season. A Santa who hates Christmas, it’s ridiculous. It’s too bright and colorful. The one color he does like is black, the color of coal, which scares the elves. To be fair, they’re just scared of him in general. Not that they really know him, they avoid him at all costs. He is too tall (it's not his fault every doorway is too short for him) and he is too scary (he can't help his ghostly pale skin, dark hair, or resting bitch face.) No one wants to be seen with the dark prince of the North Pole. He hears what they say about him, that he is untamed and ruthless. When in fact he is just clumsy and shy. Not everyone can feel comfortable singing and dancing all the time for all to see. </p><p>All of this built-up tension resulted in him exploding at his mother at dinner this evening. He said incredibly harsh things (that he regrets) and managed to accidentally set the table on fire (is it really his fault that they put so many Christmas themed candles all over the place?) Of course someone is gonna eventually knock them over onto the pile of freaking cinnamon potpourri right next to them. </p><p>He couldn’t rush out of there soon enough when they all started yelling as the elves scattered and flailed in an attempt to find something to put the fire out.</p><p>So here he is, with his coat forgotten, traveling as fast as he can to be far away from the chaotic house - even if the chaos was caused by him. Ben walks faster and eventually crosses into the woods, cold air brushing harshly against his face, tense anger still building inside him.</p><p>The coronation is tomorrow evening, exactly 3 months before Christmas. He feels like he can’t breath, there isn’t enough air in the world right now to settle his lungs and steady his quickened heart beat.</p><p>It’s not until his foot slushes into a pool of icy cold water (quickly falling back a few paces to not get himself anymore damp) that he realizes he has gone far past the last of the candy canes and is now standing at the edge of the connecting Snow Drop Lake.</p><p>It’s as far as he has ever gone. Ben watches the water glisten, the moon and stars reflecting on its surface. Taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself.</p><p>Unshed tears in his eyes, he feels pathetic. Nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Never left the stupidly cold North Pole before…. so here he is stuck in a bloody ice land with the “happiest” helpers on Earth. It’s a nightmare. If there is one thing he is sure of though, it’s he has a bad feeling about tomorrow…</p>
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